Police detail responses to Penn incidents

PENN — There were a total of 224 incidents in the township reported to the Pennsylvania State Police in the first three months of this year.

State Police Lt. Rich D’Ambrosio gave an update to the township supervisors at their meeting Wednesday. He explained that the total incident report includes 21 crashes and 30 criminal incidents.

“Breaking the criminal numbers down, most of those are thefts, 11 out of those 30 are thefts,” D’Ambrosio said, adding there were four burglaries, and three of those were in the Oxford Village trailer park.

Under crashes, the majority were minor fender-benders, plus there were 12 arrests in the township for DUI.

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D’Ambrosio asked residents to remember to lock the doors of their cars and houses.

“The car break-ins in the county, most of the time the cars were unlocked,” he said.

He also asked residents to report anything they see that seems suspicious.

“People are going around and instead of trying to get in the house covertly they are banging on doors. If someone comes to the door they come up with a story real quick, but what they’re hoping is no one answers the door. Those are the houses they are breaking into,” D’Ambrosio said. “If someone knocks on your door and they come up with some goofy story, give us a call. You guys are the eyes and ears of the community, be on the lookout for things.”

Supervisors’ Chairman Curtis Mason asked for assistance from the state police in enforcing the no-solicitation ordinances on the road rights-of-way. The board recently passed a peddling ordinance that will be enforced by the township zoning officer on private properties that are posted “no peddling” but soliciting along the streets is covered in the state vehicle code as enforcable by the state police.

“This problem is escalating,” Mason said.

The supervisors also held a brief hearing to add two properties to the Ag Security area. The 38-acre parcel of David C. Moore and Deborah M. Edwards, and the 355-acre parcel of William Severance and Sibyl Lutz were approved for inclusion in the existing district.

A conditional use hearing was also scheduled for the Giant Stores LLC fueling facility, but it was continued until 6 p.m. April 17.